Enriquez claims AC Men's XC Athlete of the Year

A blessing laid in disguise for Gabriel Enriquez when he joined the Tascosa High School cross country program five years ago.

His determination, hard work, and a little bit of luck ensured that it’d come to fruition.

The Amarillo native joined a storied Rebels cross country program, led by longtime head coach Sean Hargrove, after beginning his running career a few years prior.

Enriquez explained that his competitive approach has been a constant since his first race and a critical aspect of his running success.

“It was a scrimmage meet and I had no idea what I was doing,” he said. “What my mindset has always been is that I don’t like to give up. During that race, my first middle school race, I just kept fighting and pushing. I wouldn’t let up one bit. I just knew to keep going no matter how bad it hurt. That still applies today.”

Hargrove took Enriquez under his wing upon his arrival to the Rebels program in 2018. It didn’t take long for the decorated program leader to realize that Enriquez had a bright future.

“He was phenomenal,” Hargrove said. “Gabe got better and each year he continued to improve. He’s a kid you want on your team.”

Enriquez was a three-year varsity athlete, placed in the top five at districts as a junior, and was state qualifier in Class 5A during his time with the Rebels.

In the midst of his high school career, Enriquez aspired to run cross country in college and by time he was a senior, the near-perfect opportunity presented itself.

Hargrove was hired as the head coach of the newly-started Amarillo College cross country program before his senior season.

His first recruiting target – one of the consistent staples of his boy’s team for the past three seasons.

“I knew he was a great runner. He was my starting point and the best runner I recruited,” Hargrove noted.

“We had a really good team his sophomore year and his junior year we had a team that went to state and he was my No. 3 runner. That’s what I look at in high school athletes, did they grow from their freshman year or are they just good and never get better. Gabe got better and each year he continued to improve. He grew and I think that’s why he was a really good athlete last year.”

In terms of athlete-coach relationship, the feeling is mutual for Enriquez. The Tascosa High product voiced his sincere appreciation for Hargrove and how their relationship has grown since crossing paths.

“I’m the type of person who keeps to himself so my freshman year (in high school) I didn’t really bother to get to know him. As time went on, I realized he was no ordinary coach. He’s a great coach because it’s not just sports to him, he cares about you in sports but also outside of sports, outside of the school. He cares about how you’re doing in class, how your outside life is doing,” he said. “With a coach like that, we grew real close.”

The coach and athlete duo continued their cross country success seamlessly in the collegiate ranks.

Enriquez paced the Badger men’s team in six of the seven races they competed in a season ago, capped by a top-50 finish in the National Junior College Men's Half Marathon (43rd place).

At the Region V meet, Enriquez had his best 8K outing of the season, finishing in 14th place with a season-best time (26 minutes 1 second).

“I feel like the regional run was one of my best. I think the key was staying consistent with the practices. Outside of the practices I would put in my own time with the workouts that didn’t include running, which was balance, running techniques, breathing techniques, gym workouts,” he said.

With the 2023 season set to get underway with the Badgers first practice in one week, the soon-to-be sophomore is eager to compete against some of the best runners in the country.

The Badger cross country schedule features races at Oklahoma State University and Texas Tech University.

“I think the goal for this season, I’m looking forward to competing against the best of the best, which OSU is definitely one of the top D 1 teams in the country. This will test and break my limit and see where I stand in the nation,” Enriquez said.

Outside of running, Enriquez has lofty career goals and as he showed in the classroom in year one, he’s well on his way to success after athletics.

The Amarillo native was a Western Junior College Athletic Conference All Academic First Team selection for the spring semester.

Enriquez plans to become an electrical engineer for energy and/or aerospace companies after college.